Life Directions Center for the College of Undergraduate Studies

The mission of the Life Directions Center (LDC) is to equip authentic disciples of Christ to discern their life calling, achieve academic success and engage in meaningful service. The LDC provides a four year connection for students assigned to an LDC advisor who is part of the overall academic advising team, in their pursuit of spiritual, academic, and career directions by providing resources, guidance, and counsel to help students realize and move towards their God-given calling

The Life Directions Center manages the following student services:

Academic Advising
Academic Alerts
Student Success Services
Tutoring Resources
CLEP and DSST Policies
Undeclared Major Advising
Life Calling
Ministry Hours Requirements
Study Abroad and Off-Campus Programs
International Student Services
Accommodations and Accessibility
Veterans and ROTC Services

Academic Advising

Advisors in the LDC provide information and resources to assist students in knowing their degree requirements and meeting their specific educational goals. LDC advisors are available to coach students in accessing online degree plans, course planning tools, course rotations, and prerequisites requirements to meet general education and specific degree requirements for graduation. Advisors are also available to be a resource to students’ as they select their courses each semester, to help students take the courses in the correct sequencing for their academic programs.

Students are responsible for their degree progression and completion. Students should check their planned sequencing of courses on a semester or annual basis to ensure they are meeting all degree requirements and prerequisites. It is also the responsibility of students to notify their advisor of any course changes made to their recommended course sequencing . Failure to do so may result in students taking additional time to complete their Colorado Christian University degree.
Students should talk with their advisor when considering any changes to their major, minor, or course selections. The process of changing majors adding or dropping a minor are initiated by academic advisors. Students must talk with their advisor before any of these actions can be taken.
Students are responsible to notify their advisor the semester before they plan to graduate to complete their required graduation application. Graduation applications are due by registration the semester before a student plans to graduate.

Academic Alerts

Students are expected to be aware of their academic performance in their courses and to utilize the student success services CCU provides. Students can determine academic performance by tracking their completed assignments and grades from the syllabus requirements or accessing posted grades in CCU's online learning platform. Many faculty post individual grades and calculate current course grades within CCU's online learning platform, although students are responsible for carefully checking that all grades have been updated, as the overall grade can fluctuate accordingly.

To assist students in succeeding academically, CCU also runs two formal academic alert processes each semester in which faculty are invited to review course grades and general academic success in order to identify students who are struggling in their courses. CCU identifies course grades below a C- as indicating a possible academic struggle. Additionally, there may be factors other than current grades that cause a professor concern for ongoing success, such as but not limited to class participation and/or attendance. These factors may be reflected in a formal academic alert. The LDC Student Success Coordinator and advisors reach out to these students to offer support, encouragement, and resources. Because a student’s grade can change very rapidly, depending on the completion and grading of assignments and various other factors, these processes will not identify every struggling student. The responsibility remains on the student to know their academic performance and reach out to faculty or their academic advisor if he or she is struggling; however, our academic alert process is designed to offer early intervention when we are aware of potential struggles and ensure holistic student support.

Student Success Services

The LDC provides a variety of services to promote the development and/or improvement of necessary skills for college success. These student success services are available to all students and include a Student Success course for conditionally admitted students, weekly study halls with peer mentor support, monthly workshops offered by expert faculty and staff, free tutorial resources, and individual appointments with academic advisors. The LDC also partners with faculty to provide assistance to students who show an academic struggle throughout a semester. The LDC staff has information and resources on time management, test-taking skills, study habits, and other issues that impact students’ success in college. Each student has different strengths, challenges, and needs, and the LDC staff encourages students to try and adopt methods that work for their unique personality and learning style. Students who are on probation or are conditionally admitted to the University also benefit from many of these services. Specific, additional information is available for probation or conditionally admitted students in the Academic Policies section.

Tutoring Resources

Student Success Services (SSS) at CCU offers free tutoring resources that provide assistance to current CUS students seeking to supplement classroom instruction to reach their educational goals. Students have access to Peer-to-Peer tutoring four days a week. Peer-to-Peer tutoring is offered by Academic Consultants who are current students hired and trained to assist students in select courses. Students can find current listings of courses being tutored and operation details by visiting CCU Connect and/or contacting the Coordinator of Student Success Services.

CLEP and DSST Policies

Colorado Christian University will accept applicable credits for students who score at or above CCU-established levels on specified CLEP and DSST tests. Scores for granting credit are determined by the CCU Dean’s Council, with consideration given to the recommended scores by the American Council on Education (ACE). Information on CLEP and DSST transfer policies may be found on the CUS Academic Policies page.

Undeclared Major Advising

A number of incoming freshmen begin their CCU experience without a declared major. The LDC provides several workshops and presentations that can assist in major selection. This programming assists students in exploring their areas of interest, gifting, and abilities and provides a supplement to the individual advising all LDC advisors do to help students as they select and confirm their major. Students must declare a major before completing 60 credits of coursework.

Life Calling

The LDC is available to assist students with prayerfully discerning their calling and with learning more about their interests, talents, skills, values, spiritual gifts, and personalities and how those may interact with various vocations, professions, areas of ministry, and hobbies. Students are encouraged to pursue academic, ministry, job, and leadership opportunities to identify and pursue their God-given talents and interests and how those can be used for God’s kingdom purposes.

The LDC offers several assessments, including the Myers Briggs Personality Type Indicator (MBTI), Strong Interest Inventory (SII), PathwayU, and Clifton Strengths assessment, to help students explore and confirm elements of calling, giftedness, purpose, and fit. The MBTI helps students answer the questions of “Who am I?” and “Why do I want to work?” through the evaluation of how their personality processes information and makes decisions. The Strong Interest Inventory (SII) helps students answer the questions of “What occupations align with my interests?” and “What environment do I work best in?” through the analysis of interests and comparison with individuals who are satisfied in their occupations. PathwayU is a comprehensive discovery platform to help students identify meaning and purpose and can quantify career efficacy and career optimism. The PathwayU system can help identify majors that are a good person-environment fit at CCU. Finally, the Clifton Strength assessment provides opportunities to empower students to identify talents that come naturally to them and continue developing those talents into strengths to incorporate into their academic and vocational experience.

Students are encouraged to try new things and learn from both their successes and challenges. We want students to build a foundation of calling that reflects who they are in Christ and how that interacts with vocation, ministry, and hobbies. We understand life calling as, “…a transcendent summons towards meaningful and purposeful work motivated by a desire to make a positive difference.” (Dik, 2020).

Ministry Hours Requirements

A distinctive example of CCU’s commitment to preparing graduates for Christian leadership and service is the ministry hours requirement. To graduate from the CUS program, every student must complete a ministry hours requirement. Total hours required are based on the number of semesters a student attends CCU (22.5 hours per semester). A traditional four-year student will complete 180 hours of service. Students pursuing an Associate degree must also complete 22.5 ministry hours for each semester they attend CCU. Because of the structure of ministry hours and ease of accomplishing these hours in the years that students are enrolled at CCU, waivers for the ministry hours requirement will not be granted. The Day of Service is one of the first opportunities for new students to obtain ministry hours.

The ministry hours requirement encourages students to develop a lifestyle of service to others and to explore different areas of service and vocational calling. The heart of the ministry hours requirement is to encourage students to expand their comfort zone and explore ways to serve people outside of their immediate circle. For this reason, a maximum of 25% of a student’s ministry hours can be service to those within the CCU community (On Campus Hours) and a maximum of 25% can be Academic hours. Ministry hours may be completed at church, parachurch, not-for-profit service organizations, or at various other organizations, as well as, serving individual people.

Students cannot accept payment for hours they wish to submit for ministry hours (with a few exceptions).

Student leaders (not RA/ARD): Students may count 30% of the total hours served.
Non-paid student leaders: Students may count 100% of the hours served.

CCU student leader hours are counted as on-campus service which is restricted to 25% of the total hours needed to graduate.

Off-campus ministry opportunities (summer camps or other paid ministry work)

Amount paid per week for 40 hours	Total hours allowed to count per week worked
$0	Count up to 40 hours per week
$100-199	Count up to 25 hours per week
$200-499	Count up to 15 hours per week
$500+	No hours counted

Credit is given for hours of actual service, not for hours spent in preparation for service. For example, hours leading a group Bible Study count, not time spent preparing or traveling to and from the study. Hours that occur during summer in between semesters that a student is enrolled at CCU can also be submitted. Because CCU offers internships, teaching assistant roles, field experience, and student teaching courses where a student can earn academic credit for serving people and organizations, students can submit up to 25% of their ministry hours requirement from those courses as Academic hours. If the internship is paid, it usually does not qualify for ministry hours. Typically, service to CCU faculty, personal friends, and family members will not be approved to meet the ministry hour requirement. However, unique situations will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Examples of “Off-Campus” ministry hours:

Mission Trips (Hours of actual service: 8 hours/day [maximum of 40 hours/week] of unpaid service). Student leaders for trips are eligible to count up to 10 additional hours.
Camp Counselor (8 hours/day [maximum of 40 hours/week] of unpaid service). Please see separate, previous section regarding paid service.
Serving on a worship team, greeting, ushering, teaching, etc. at a church or other ministry.
Campus-sponsored community events such as Harvest Carnival and the Easter Egg Hunt (these events serve the off-campus community).
Serving with one of the many CCU off-campus ministries (Young Hearts, Westside Ministry, All Things Ministry, Sojourners, etc.)
Volunteer organizations, churches, para-church ministries, etc.
Help for families in a local community in providing services such as childcare, yard work, house cleaning, visits with the elderly, etc. Please serve those outside your immediate family and outside the CCU community.
Participation in a School of Music ensemble. Please see below for details.
Unpaid internships not for academic credit. CCU is not responsible for tracking this information; please use your own discretion.

Examples of “Academic” ministry hours:

Internships, Teaching Assistant Roles, Teaching Field Experiences, and Student Teaching (up to 25% of overall requirement). It is your responsibility to submit these hours; they are not submitted automatically.

The following service activities to the CCU community qualify as “On Campus” ministry hours:

Weekend of Welcome volunteers (up to 20 hours) (this can also be counted as off-campus hours)
New Student Retreat work crew (up to 20 hours)
Chapel Set Up/Tear Down
Volunteer Chapel worship team
Chapel Prayer Team (0.5 hours per chapel, up to 1 hour a week)
Leading a Bible Study, D-Group, or mentoring (up to 45 hours for D-group, which is 25% of 180 hours)
Hosting a prospective student approved through the Admissions Office (5 hours per Preview. An extra 2 hrs can be added per additional student or nights)
Band/Choir Events for the CCU community
Coaching/assisting with on-campus clinics/camps (can count for “off campus” if the people being served are not CCU students)
President’s Circle Dinner

The University recognizes that many campus programs rely on volunteer service and that students would like this service to count for ministry hours. This category of service is termed “On-Campus Hours”, and a student may submit 25% of their total ministry hours from service to the CCU corporate community. Students are not required to submit “On-Campus Hours” and can choose to do all their ministry hours through “Off-Campus Hours.”

The Ministry Hours Coordinator located in the Student Life Office, reserves the right to determine whether hours count as on-campus, off-campus, or academic.

For questions, please email ministryhours@ccu.edu.

School of Music Details:

On-campus ministry hours up to 25%:

Concerts for the CCU community, up to 25% of students’ ministry hour requirement. Examples are:
- Band/orchestra/choir/jazz fall or spring concerts (4 hours per concert)
- Band/orchestra/choir/jazz performance in chapel (2 hours per chapel)
- Band/orchestra/choir/jazz performance for CCU events, such as President’s Circle (2 hours per event)
- Special small ensemble or solo performances for CCU events, like jazz combo at President’s Circle, solo performances at Symposium (2 hours per event)
- Plays/theatre productions on campus (5-day run - 15 hours)
- One Act Play Festival (3 hours)

Off-campus ministry hours (can be applied to 100% of off-campus requirement):

Solo and ensemble performances at off-campus locations (including churches, hospitals, nursing homes, etc.) (3 hours per event)
CCU Christmas concert (11 hours for the full concert run)
Musicals at Lakewood Cultural Center (6-day run - 18 hours)
CCU Commencement ceremony (5 hours)
Band/choir tours (Colorado tour 30 hours; regional or international tour 45 hours)

All ministry hours must be submitted within one year of completion to count towards the graduation requirement. It is the responsibility of the student to submit their hours through Helper Helper. Please see the LDC page on CCU Connect for instructions on how to submit ministry hours or talk to your academic advisor. Even when students are told by University staff or students that they will get hours for service, they must personally submit their hours through Helper Helper (helperhelper.com) for approval.

Please note that any hours performed for the following do not count towards the ministry hours requirement:

Participation in CCU clubs or organizations
Participation in CCU athletic team or mission trip fundraisers
Hours performed as a consequence of an infraction (whether through the CCU discipline process or a local, state, or federal process)

Because ministry hours are a graduation requirement, all CUS students, including part-time students, are required to fulfill it. Because a student could reasonably complete their ministry hours requirement in 3 years, no ministry hours are waived for Study Abroad or Student Teaching semesters.

Students who attend and graduate from CCU in less than four years and transfer students must obtain an average of 45 ministry hours per year, or 22.5 hours per semester, for graduation. The requirement is adjusted in a student’s record when they complete a graduation application.

Ministry Hour Reduction by Semester Attending CCU

Semesters	Required hour total
8	180
7	157.5
6	135
5	112.5
4	90
3	67.5
2	45
1	22.5

Students who need ideas or help to select a service opportunity are encouraged to contact their academic advisor to discuss what options might be best for them and review local opportunities through Helper Helper on the CCU Connect Life Directions Center page. Students lacking their completed ministry hours do not graduate from CCU until all hours are fulfilled, submitted, and approved. Students may be allowed to participate in Commencement, but degrees are not conferred, and diplomas are not sent, until the ministry hours requirement is completed and approved.

Study Abroad and Off-Campus Programs

Colorado Christian University aims not only to give students an unforgettable study abroad experience, but ultimately desires to develop students into global citizens. CCU’s study abroad partners offer programs in 20 countries and offer courses relevant to nearly every major while also offering students unique opportunities in terms of field-based internships, language acquisition, and cultural assimilation experiences.

CCU’s Study Abroad Partners

GlobalEd (through the CCCU): Middle East, Nashville, Oxford, Los Angeles, Uganda, and Washington, D.C.
Living and Learning International: Ecuador, Italy, and Baltimore
Study Abroad Lithuania (through Lithuania Christian University)
- LCC International University
Veritas Christian Study Abroad: Chile, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, England, France, Italy, New Zealand, Peru, South Africa, South Korea, and Spain

Students interested in studying abroad or off-campus are responsible to research and apply for the study abroad or off-campus program in a timely manner. If studying abroad, students are also responsible to initiate conversation with their academic advisor who will work with them to determine if and how the academic credit earned abroad will apply toward the student’s degree requirements before the student makes a decision to participate in a study abroad program. It is recommended that the student see their advisor about the approval of transfer credits at least one month prior to the program’s application deadline.

To learn more about study abroad programs at CCU, please schedule an appointment with your academic advisor or email studyabroad@ccu.edu.

Students participating in a study abroad or off-campus program will also need to work with the Study Abroad Representative in the Office of Financial Aid to determine the cost of this endeavor, as well as to explore available financial aid. CCU students cannot apply their CCU Institutional aid toward a study abroad program, although federal aid, state aid, and some private scholarships may be applicable.

International Student Services

In collaboration with the Department of Undergraduate Admission, the LDC administrates appropriate government paperwork such as a Certificate of Eligibility for Non-Immigrant (F-1) Student Status for American and Language Students (Form I-20) for international students studying at CCU. The LDC International Student Coordinator is also available to assist international students with their adjustment to life in the United States. Students desiring more information are encouraged to contact the LDC.

Accommodations and Accessibility

CCU is committed to providing equal access to academic programs and the university experience for qualified students with a documented disability. It is the policy of Colorado Christian University to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and state and local regulations regarding students and applicants with disabilities. Pursuant to these laws, no qualified individual with a disability shall unlawfully be denied access to or participation in services, programs, or activities at the University. Students with a grievance should consult the appropriate section of this catalog (below) for instructions about how to file a complaint.

In accordance with the ADA as amended, CCU recognizes that disabilities may include mobility, sensory, health, psychological, and learning impairments that substantially limit one or more major life activities. In order to ensure equal access, CCU will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals to the extent that it is readily achievable to do so. We are unable, however, to make accommodations that are unduly burdensome or that fundamentally alter the curriculum, the nature of the program, service, or activity.

Accommodations are granted upon completion of the Accommodation Registration process and provision of appropriate and relevant documentation to the Life Directions Center. Requests need to be made in a reasonable time frame in which to process registration forms, review documentation, complete an in-take meeting, and create an individualized Certificate of Accommodations. Reviewing and granting accommodations can take up to three weeks, so students are strongly encouraged to consider that in determining when to begin the registration process.

Students seeking reasonable accommodations can contact the Life Direction Center, email accommodations@ccu.edu, or access the Accommodation and Accessibility website in order to review the Accommodations Policies and Procedures packet. This packet details the process for requesting accommodations and the documentation required.

Upon approval of accommodations, it is the responsibility of the student to provide her/his faculty with an approved Certificate of Accommodations received through the Life Directions Center. A Certificate of Accommodations must be produced before accommodations can be provided. Accommodations are not given retroactively and do not guarantee success.

The University admissions decisions are made without regard to disabilities. Thus, the University will not impose or apply admission or eligibility criteria that discriminate against individuals with disabilities. Students with disabilities desiring to enroll in any program, service, or activity at the University must be able to meet the minimum academic and technical standards required for admission or participation of the University and the specific program. CCU is unable to lower program requirements, provide individualized supervision, or make modifications or substitute courses if they would fundamentally alter the learning objectives of the educational program. The University does not engage in any affirmative action programs for disabled students nor does it consider a student’s disability in evaluating admissions criteria. It is, of course, within the student’s discretion to disclose his/her disability to the University and request reasonable accommodations if desired. If this choice is made, the University will not discriminate against the student on the basis of the disability and will make reasonable accommodations when necessary and appropriate. At CCU, we are committed to inclusion and providing equal access to individuals with disabilities.

Grievance Policy for Disability Accommodations

CCU prohibits retaliation against anyone who files a grievance under the grievance policy or otherwise complains that they have been denied equal access in the form of appropriate accommodations. This prohibition of retaliation similarly extends to anyone who has testified, assisted, or participated in any manner of investigation, proceeding, or hearing related to an ADAAA grievance or complaint under this policy.

CCU encourages students who disagree with a decision concerning a requested accommodation to attempt to resolve their concerns by first discussing them with the Accommodations and Accessibility Coordinator in writing. Any student who believes that a decision regarding disability accommodations has not been made in accordance with CCU’s stated policy may file a formal grievance with the Disability Appeal Committee. The Disability Appeal Committee consists of the Vice President of Student Life, the University Counsel, and the Director of the Life Directions Center. Students must file their grievances via email to: CUSaccommodationsappeal@ccu.edu.

Grievances from students requesting accommodations will only be granted on the following grounds:

The assigned accommodations are disproportionate to the need.
The student was not accorded his or her rights, and this failure significantly affected the student’s right to equal access.
The decision of the Accommodations and Accessibility Coordinator was not based on all documentation.

This formal grievance will be investigated and resolved in accordance with the following procedure:

Complete and file a grievance statement.

To file a formal grievance concerning a disability accommodation decision, an individual must provide the Disability Appeal

Committee with a written grievance statement via email that contains the following:

i. A description of the issue and any relevant facts

ii. A summary of any steps the student has taken to resolve the issue, including names of people involved.

iii. A statement of the requested resolution, including the student's rationale for any requested accommodation.

iv. Any supporting documentation.

v. Name and contact information of the person initiating the complaint.

Notification: Upon receipt of a form grievance statement, the Disability Appeal Committee or designee will initiate an investigation and notify the student via email that an investigation will be conducted.
Investigation: the Disability Appeal Committee may investigate the grievance through some or all of the following steps: meeting with the student, speaking with the Accommodations and Accessibility Coordinator or other involved parties to hear their respective positions, requesting additional medical documentation, requesting an independent medical evaluation, consulting with professionals with applicable expertise, and/or any other relevant means.
Deliberation: The Disability Appeal Committee will have thirty (30) business days to complete an investigation once all the requirements of a grievance statement have been met and issue a determination on the grievance. If the Disability Appeal Committee is unable to issue its determination within that time frame, the Disability Appeal Committee will advise the student. After a determination is made, a written decision will be provided to the student via email with explanations. The decision by the Disability Appeal Committee is final.

Veterans and ROTC Services

The LDC is available to assist CUS Veterans and ROTC students with their unique needs. Students can speak with their academic advisor for more information about the services provided.

Enrollment in Reserve Officers Training Corps programs is open to both men and women, and ROTC courses are open to all students whether or not they are enrolled in ROTC programs. The Air Force and the Army provide undergraduate and selected graduate students with the opportunity to combine academic study with a military officer’s educational program. The two services conduct courses in their respective areas leading to a regular or reserve commission upon graduation. For more information contact CCU’s Office of Admission at 303-963-3200 and ask to speak with the ROTC liaison.

Academic Services

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Academic Services